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Music without a name ...

Based in Melbourne, Australia, The Merlin Bird play a sort of atmospheric rock that draws on elements of classical, Middle-Eastern and folk music. They are currently working as a collaborative four-piece, meaning they spend most of their time arguing over who should get all the credit.

“ … a rich and fantastical musical landscape” (Prog magazine by Classic Rock)
“ … as near to perfection as you can probably get” (Losing Today)
“ … a thing of wonder” (ProgScape)
“ … sparkling with originality” (Beat)

The Cherry Bar in Melbourne has, arguably, the coolest address of any rock venue in the world. (It's in AC/DC Lane.) Being the relentless followers of fashion that we are, The Merlin Bird will be hitting the stage there at 9pm every Monday night in March 2016.

We'll be playing old songs, new songs, songs we've rehearsed to death and songs we've rehearsed back to life again. It's a great venue, and we're really looking forward to sharing four nights of Birdy goodness with y'all. Catch you there!

The Merlin Bird hit the airwaves with a two hour live-to-air broadcast on radio RPP 98.7 FM on 20th December 2015. It was a great day, and a whole lot of fun for all concerned. (It was also kind of exciting - we had a dreadful feedback issue that got fixed only thirty seconds before going to air, and Geoff somehow managed to race from one end of the studio to the other to do a mid-song instrument swap in only two bars of music. Never a dull moment!) A big shout out to all the technical guys at RPP, whose professionalism and experience really shone through.

It's here at last! After all the postponements, injuries, bad hair days, good hair days, receding hair days and just plain unmanageable hair days, the new Merlin Bird album, Chapter and Verse, has finally been released.

The album contains thirteen tracks, which range in length from a rather perfunctory sixteen seconds, to your more quasi-epic seven minutes-ish. We hope we've managed to walk the line between keeping everything coherent, while still visiting a range of musical styles.

We know we've said it before, but there's nothing like rock music for allowing you freedom of musical expression. It's really nice to be able to mix Gregorian chants with a bluesy sort of piano, and to crank up the power lead solo a few songs after your renaissance harpsicord number. We've experienced all the usual difficulties and frustrations in making this CD, and been lucky enough to enjoy moments of joy as well; we hope that all those feelings somehow come through.

No blurb on this album would be complete without a word of thanks to all the singers, musicians, producers, well-wishers and purveyors of good advice who have helped shape the sounds. One of the great pleasures of making music is the people you get to make it with; everyone named on the CD feels like part of the Merlin Bird family to us. Our love and thanks to all.

Leading online rock show Sitting in a bar in Adelaide had a chat with Geoff about the Rhyme to Reason EP, prog rock in general and - importantly - guaranteed ways to save the world. (Unfortunately that last bit got cut.) Listen in at http://www.mevio.com/episode/314335/the-merlin-bird